The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) develops and implements aircraft environmental certification standards
, , , that manufacturers have to comply with in order to register their products within the EU and EFTA States. The recent certification of new types of large transport aircraft and engines has continued to be focused on performance improvement packages for aircraft certified in the 2010s (e.g. Airbus A350, A330neo and A320neo; Boeing 737MAX and 787). The penetration of these aircraft types into the European fleet has slowed due to reduced annual deliveries following the COVID crisis and the average margin to the latest noise standard of the new deliveries is levelling off. In contrast, there has been increased research and certification activity in emerging markets such as zero carbon emission aircraft (e.g. electric and hydrogen powered aircraft).
There have been a limited number of new certified large transport aircraft and engine types over the last few years with marginal environmental improvements, while deliveries of the latest generation of aircraft continue to penetrate the European fleet.
The average margin to the latest noise standard of new regional, single-aisle, and twin-aisle jet deliveries is levelling off, and the rate of deliveries is still recovering from the COVID crisis.
Certification of all in-production aircraft types against the ICAO CO2 standard is required by 1 January 2028, which is leading to an increase in activities within this area.
All new aircraft joining the European fleet since 2020 have engines that meet the latest CAEP/8 NOX standard, thereby suggesting a need to review this standard during the CAEP/14 work programme (2025-2028).
Environmental technology standards will be important in influencing new aircraft and engine designs and contributing to future sustainability goals.
In February 2025, the ICAO CAEP is aiming to agree on new aircraft noise and CO2 limits that would become applicable in the next five years.
Discussions have been initiated within ICAO CAEP to review the noise limits for light propeller-driven aircraft and helicopters, which have been unchanged since 1999 and 2002, respectively.
ICAO independent experts' medium-term (2027) and long-term (2037) technology goals were agreed in 2019 and are becoming outdated.
Emissions data measured during the engine certification process acts as an important source of information to support modelling of operational emissions in cruise.
There have been further developments within the low-carbon emissions aircraft market (e.g. electric, hydrogen), with support from the Alliance for Zero-Emissions Aircraft to address barriers to entry into service and facilitate a potential reduction in short/medium-haul CO2 emissions by 2050.
EASA has published noise measurement Guidelines and Environmental Protection Technical Specifications in order to respond to the emerging markets of Drones and Urban Air Mobility.
EASA has launched a General Aviation Flightpath 2030+ program to accelerate the transition of propulsion technology, infrastructure, and fuels to support sustainable operations.
Horizon Europe, with a budget of €95 billion, is funding collaborative and fundamental aviation research, as well as partnerships (e.g. Clean Aviation, Clean Hydrogen) who are developing and demonstrating new technologies to support the European Green Deal.
